The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-11-25
A BRANDED OUTLAW.
The Story of Joaquin Aurietta
the Notorious Bandit.
AN HONEST LIFE BLASTED.
The Five Inoarnate Fisnds-A Com
plete Revsngs-The Beginning
OF . Bad Career.

| 4uo 1O1lOHA1S sCOry Ii GOlU VI Oh 'OlO
pioneer of California as the cause that
led to Joaquin Murietta becoming q
bandit and an outlaw. The famous
desperate was well known in San Jose
and this county was the scene Of many
daring and bloody exploit.
When thousands of gold-seekers
were pouring into California from all
directions and from all countries, there
lived near Sonora. Tuolumne County,
a young Mexican named Joaquin
Murietta and his wife Carmelita.
They occupied roughly made but
comfortable cabin of three rooms and
all who made their acquaintance were
struck most pleasantly with their happy
countenances and the many evidences
of their devotion to each other. Both
were possessed of kindly, happy dis
positions; they were intelligent, and
the husband spoke English with con-
siderable fiuency. Murietta was en-
gagged in gardening. and along both
| sides of little stream that flowed near
the door of his cottage the ground had
been carefully cul tivated and was
covered with numerous vegetables,
which would soon be ready for market.
Vegetables in those days were worth
almost their weight in silver, and as the
happy gardener worked and planned
| for the future, when he could return
with his wife to their native land, he
could hear the happy housewife sing
ing some sweet Spanish love-song
which he knew was intended for him.
A Mr.. Wilson, al American, who had
a claim near by, made his home at
their cottage, and all three were warm
friends. Murietta was deriving an
ample income from his garden, and,
with the money received from Wilson
for board, their prospects were very
bright. About this time the gold fever
increased in intensity. Men became
selfish and less polished. There was a
Whirl of excitement; fortunes were lost
and won at cards; murders were of
frequent occurrence, and in all direc-
tons men were roaming che hills and
gulches, and their eyes seemed to glare
insanely as they peered into every purl-
ing brook and under every bowlder for
gold. The happy trio at the cottage
were not disturbed for some time, but
on a beautiful Sunday morning in
April Wilson and Joaquin Murie!ta
and his wife were seated outside of the
door conversing on their prospects and
planning on the future. As they were
thus pleasantly building castles like
happy children five rough men ap-
peared short distance below the cab
In, all loaded with mining implements.
They halted and commenced prospect
ing in the stream. The result seemed
to be highly satisfactory, for there was
a general yell, snd active mining opera
tons were at once commenced. The
men, who were from Missouri, and had
Just arrived in the mines, worked a.
most constantly. They followed the
gold streak up the stream, and at length
approached the beautiful garden, valu-
able as gold mine, with its wealth of
vegetables of al varieties. Murietta
and his friend Wilson began to be ap-
prehensive of trou BILE, and at length
both visited the miners and requested
them as a favor not to mine through
the garden, but to go to the other side
until the valuable crop could be taken
off the ground.
They refused to heed the request, and
answered roughly that they knew the
law, Murietta suggested that Wilson
started and reached town in about two
hours. 1t was o'clock in the afternoon
when, returning. he came in sight of the
little cottage. He stopped and gazed,
but he could see no one around the
house. He quickened his pace, while
torebodings of some terrible trouble
filed his heart. He reached the stream
the miners, with all their belongings,
had departed, and the thought that
then filed his half-dazed brain was that
his friends had been murdered. His
cheek paled, and. leaping over the
stream, he ran to the house and burst
through the door. He stood appalled,
at the scene that met his eyes.
There on the floor, bound hand
and foot, lay Murietta. The hight of
reason seemed to have left his
eyes, which started and rolled
like a demons. Foam was on his lips
and from his throat came mcoherent.
choking sounds, while his body writhed
like serpent. Bending quickly over
the man Wilson cut the ropes. AS they
fell away Murietta leaped TO his feet
with a cry of agony, such as Dante
alone could have described. He rushed
into the bedroom, and there lay his
wife apparently dead; her ,clsthing was
torn from her person, and her pallid
face told of the awful experience through
SAc p6ccOA' u4lCItu lh4OH
himself beside her on the bed, and,
clasping her to his breast, cried out:
Mq,erida, ma guerilla" (my darling,
my darling). Wilson stood faint with
horror at the scene, and could not sup
press chill at his heart as the frantic
husband now paced up and. down the
room almost shrieking, 81 will kill
them: l Will kill them ~ Again and
again would he run into the bedroom
with endearing expressions, and then
pace like savage animal up and down
the floor of the other room.
Wilson realized that 1t would be
of no use to endeayor to pacify
the man. He had suffered an hour
of horror that had burned deeply into
his soul He had witnessed that which
had changed his whole nature and
blasted his whole life. Wilson, at length
went to the bedside where lay the al
most girlish figure. He detected signs
of Life, and took such means as we're at
hand to revive her. He was successful. |
Her husband took her in his arRas as if
she were little baby, and carried her
to and fro, covering her with his kisses. |
Before nightfall, Murietta had become
moro nalTn outwardiv INIT Wilson |